The Fall
by Restraint
Summary: AU-Sasuke Uchiha meets Hinata Hyuuga on a cozy armchair in a college library. He had no intention, no interest in seeing the girl again. Or did he?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters. c:

Chapter 1

The Stumble

The phrase 12:27 PM flashed lightly before the sleek dark cell phone was flipped shut once again. Sasuke Uchiha swept a pale hand through his dark locks, earning himself a chorus of female sighs from a few seats behind. His eyes shifted, and he resisted the urge to glare back. _Don't fuel them, don't look back._ The last time he decided to glare back resulted in a rather cruel punishment of being kicked out for "disturbing the frail structure of the educational environment," when in reality a crumpled piece of pink paper had struck his neck and the unfortunate business student had merely wanted to discover the source (or sources) of the assault. Sasuke, throughout his years of study, had grown accustomed to the mass of girls who chased after him, whether it be his fortune or his looks. This massive group in itself lessened after several cruel months, as they eventually discovered more worthwhile hobbies. Yet, there were always those few who remained. His fan-club dwindles to four or five members, but it irritated him to no end nonetheless. He figured that they simply had nothing better to do. In approximately three minutes, class will be over, and the twenty-one year old will follow his usually routine of courteously exiting the classroom and walking to his car in a reasonably calm manner before the crowd of squealing females could reach him, which basically meant: getting the hell out of there.

12:29 PM

One minute left. The Uchiha prepared himself, slinging his messenger bag behind one shoulder, and casually leaned towards the door. Just a few more seconds and..

"Ah, Mr. Uchiha, may I see you for a few minutes after class? It won't take too long, I assure you." The grey-haired business professor looked up expectantly from spectacled eyes and as he did, the bell rang.

Sasuke's left eye twitched. He skillfully hid his annoyance, expertly wiping any trace of emotion. _No problem Sasuke, keep it cool._

"Mr. Uchiha, I would just like to commend you on the excellent quality of your research assignment. I, however, am very interested in perhaps, a follow-up on this particular subject. Perhaps, the effects of oil dependency taken to a local level? I would highly recommend a continuation of this topic for the upcoming research assignment."

Sasuke couldn't help the silent internal celebration that ensued afterwards. Born into the well noted Uchiha family, a family of entrepreneur geniuses to be exact, Sasuke had unfortunately discovered that he himself had not inherited the natural skills that accompanied his lineage. The passion, yes, the skills, no. He himself was not one to simply give up though. He studied through the nights in complete darkness and faced the new dawn with his fresh artillery of pure black coffee. He knew what he was working for: Uchiha Co. His brother, though naturally skilled, had refused the executive position on behalf of his passion for photography. He was no major name in the business, but Sasuke had never seen a more satisfied man.

"Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie.

"Oh, oh yes Professor. Thank you, an excellent idea. I'll be sure to consider it." He replied, not an ounce of emotion in his voice.

"Wonderful, and with that, you are dismissed."

Sasuke exited the classroom calmly. As he stepped out into the bright afternoon, however, his spine instantly straightened, and his calm composure was quickly replaced with fierce attentiveness. Something was not right, something that he forgot. The air tensed suddenly. A shrill female scream instantly reminded him. It was after class, and he was not in the safety of his car. Mentally cursing, he bolted. He didn't look back, he didn't stop, he didn't even care that he was going the wrong way; this was a matter of life and death. His record was clean, not once had they had a hold of him, and he would keep it that way.

Were a passerby present, they would have witnessed quite a strange scene indeed. The young Uchiha, face devoid of emotion clutched his black messenger bag, as his long legs flew him across the large campus. His tie flew behind him, matching the movement of his sleek black jacket. Behind him, a group of about three girls quickly followed, screaming his name as they giggled. He saw a flash of pink paper, with a scent of sweet peas from what he could tell, swiftly fly past his cheek. Another giggle followed.

Sasuke looked around for an escape. The library was the closest building, and Sasuke didn't think twice. He dashed up the stone steps and entered quietly, calmly, but not smoothly nor slowly. Almost knocking over a magazine rack, he muttered a quick apology to the now irked librarian, and quickly dashed behind the nearest book shelf. He maneuvered to the back of the library, pausing once as a few giggles rang throughout the still building before quickly being hushed by the librarian up front.

The old library was immense. Arranged in sections, and further divided into more nooks and crannies, the entire design resembled a branching tree. One could easily find peace and quiet, accompanied by a nicely sized table and a comfy chairs at the end of one branch. The grand mahogany walls of the old library were lined with shelves upon shelves of books and dim chandelier lights hung over handsome wooden desks. Students could be seen hunched over desks in the plush chairs, scribbling furiously or snoring slowly. The only things that seemed out of place were the new desktop computers.

By now, Sasuke had arranged himself at the far left corner of the library, in one of the isolated divisions. His back was pressed against the bookshelf and he sneaked a peak from the small enclosure. The three girls dashed by, but did not seem to see him. With a few disappointed sighs, followed by a few muffled giggles, the girls left the library. Sasuke stood in silence for a few moments, making sure that they were far out of range. The sound of giggles and whispers soon disappeared and was replaced by the calm hum of flipping pages and scribbling pencils.

With a composed outtake of breath, Sasuke straightened himself out and took in his surroundings. The little compartment resembled a cubicle, and was roughly the size of one. However, the small sector was surrounded by walls stretching to the ceiling and aligned with countless volumes of books, giving the rather cramped up space a cozy feeling of security. The presence of a simple wooden desk and yet another comfy plush chair made the small enclosure the perfect place to study. Sasuke heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his now wind-blown locks. Throwing his messenger bag on the floor, and spilling some books in the process, he collapsed into the plush chair and leaned his head back, giving him a clear view of the painted library ceiling.

As he stared at the painted loosely clad angels and over exaggerated clouds on the ceiling, a few light footsteps could be heard coming towards his direction. He looked up, and into the cozy bubble came a girl carrying volumes of books in one hand, with her eyes preoccupied on a large book held up by her other hand. Other than the simple brown messenger bag over her shoulder, she was adorned in an oversized grey sweater, the school skirt, and simple black Mary Janes. Her overall appearance was excruciatingly plain; there was nothing unique whatsoever. Sasuke could only assume she was a student.

Sasuke could only widen his eyes in surprise at what happened next. The girl, still preoccupied with her book promptly rushed in the compartment, and sat on his lap.

"Eeep!" The girl immediately tried to jump off Sasuke as he simultaneously tried to push her off, resulting in the plush chair toppling backwards, spilling both of them on the floor. They landed with a rather loud thud with a flurry of books all around. Sasuke lay rather uncomfortable on top of the lopsided chair, arms splayed out, with the girl clutching onto his shirt.

_Oh dear lord, no. Please don't let this be a fangirl_. Sasuke's face revealed nothing but annoyance.

The girl looked up and her pale white eyes met his dark orbs. Her face heated up and Sasuke swore he had would never see anybody who resembled a tomato more than her at that exact moment. She quickly pushed herself off of him and attempted to right herself. He too, though with more poise, straightened himself up and coolly dusted himself off.

During the uncomfortable silence that ensued, Sasuke evaluated the girl. She had dark locks of hair that reached her mid-back and framed her delicate-looking face. The light hit her hair in a way that streaks of dark lavender could just be made out. Her hair contrasted quite sharply against her porcelain-like skin. She resembled a fragile doll in every way possible, even her size. She appeared to be an entire head shorter than he. He was mildly surprised that she didn't break from their fall.

"I-I.." The girl stuttered.

"You what?" Sasuke's tone conveyed no sympathy. Her stuttering annoyed him.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was already occupied." She muttered, staring at her shoes.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, and let out an internal sigh of relief. _Not a fangirl_. "People usually look before sitting."

She turned a deeper shade of red. "T-this is my usual spot. Nobody is ever here. I apologize again for disturbing you. I will go somewhere else."

"No, I was just leaving." Sasuke stated, picking up the fallen chair.

"Oh.." She looked up. The blush, though fading, still lingered. "Thank you, um.."

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh. Hinata Hyuuga."

_Hyuuga. That sounds familiar_. Sasuke thought, but quickly pushed it from his mind.

"I'll be going now." Sasuke said, picking up his books and throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder.

"I apologize again Sasuke-Kun." Hinata watched him leave.

"Hn."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you all for your fantastic reviews! This is my first time writing and I don't really know what to expect. Third person from both Sasuke and Hinata shall be coming up soon. I might edit Chapter 1 later. I am not quite satisfied with how it turned out. I plan to lengthen chapters later. As AP testing is over, I have more time to write now. Also, I will stop with the Japanese titles of respect. I truly am unfamiliar with them, and any misuse would be disrespectful. C:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of its respected characters.

Chapter 2

The Return

Sasuke's midnight black sports car zoomed through the metropolitan streets of Konoha in a blur. The Uchiha Co. emblem flashed as the September sunshine struck the gleaming windows. The blurred images of vast skyscrapers, small cafes, and countless shopping centers were reflected on the smooth shaded panes.

Sasuke thought little of these everyday images, however. The image of the Hyuuga girl was plastered on his mind. Her plain pale skin, her plain dark hair, her plain wide eyes, and her strange blush nibbled at his thoughts. _Hyuuga_. The name sounded so very familiar, but Sasuke could not pinpoint exactly what was so significant about it.

He brushed the thought of her from his mind. After all, he would never see her again. It wouldn't matter anyways. Besides, he had something more important to think about. His business thesis must be completed.

-x-

Hinata Hyuuga stood watching Sasuke leave. _Sasuke Uchiha, of Uchiha Co_. She was not a novice to the world of major business. Once associated with Hyuuga Co. herself, Hinata had her fair share of high level business dealings. Uchiha was a big name in this world, and Sasuke was no exception. He was very good looking, Hinata had to admit. Ivory pale skin and shaggy dark hair were accompanied by a chiseled face and strikingly sharp features.

She quickly wiped the image of him from her thoughts. She had more crucial things to take care of. Her biology final was coming up in a matter of weeks and she had no time to lose. She quickly bent down to retrieve her fallen textbooks. A moment later, she paused and raised a delicate eyebrow as her hand swept over an unfamiliar textbook.

_Principles of Innovation_?

She could only assume that it fell from the bookshelf. As she picked up the textbook with the intention to return it to its rightful place, a folder which had been neatly tucked into a section of the book fell onto the floor. She picked it up with skeptical eyes. On the cover of the folder and printed in glossy black ink read:

_Market Analysis_

_Sasuke Uchiha_

_The Uchiha must have dropped it_. Perhaps she could place the folder in the hands of the librarian, in case he ever came looking for it. Hinata thought this over and quickly dismissed it. She visited the library on the daily basis. To her, it was a second home. Yet, she had never once seen the Uchiha before. The likelihood of the Uchiha paying another visit to the library was slim to none. She would have a greater chance at seeing him on campus and finding herself more content with this plan, she placed the thin folder into her messenger bag.

-x-

Sasuke threw his emptied bad at the ground in frustration, causing the papers littered on his dark carpeted floor to skitter around. His business thesis, the thesis he had been working on for the past three months was nowhere to be found. He had rummaged his entire apartment, traced his steps back to the library and through the halls, searched the old empty classroom, and even risked talking to the flirtatious, young blonde barista at his morning coffee shop. The matter would not have been as crucial had he not attached the entire hand-written outline in its folder. The thesis was due in three months' time, and it was central-no, it was _imperative_ for him to find it. His entire final grade would count on that one paper.

Tired, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at the red blinking numbers on his clock. It was a little past one in the morning. He had met his father at Uchiha Co. and informed him of his schooling progress.

"Hn." Was all his father had said. "Hn."

Sasuke ignored the small tug at his heartstrings. He was exhausted. For the entire week, he had been unable to get more than four hours of sleep per day through dividing his time between Uchiha Co. and schoolwork. It was the weekend now. Giving up for the night, Sasuke decided he would return to school tomorrow in search of it.

-x-

Saturday passed with no luck on Sasuke's part. He squabbled with the librarian until the sudden end- when she roughly kicked him out of the library. Frustrated, but too stubborn to give up, he again decided to retrace his routes on Sunday as a final resort. Should he not find it, he must face the inescapable consequence of redoing the entire outline.

The quiet Sunday morning campus was bathed in a light golden blanket of sunlight. The majority of students were in their respected dorms or apartments snoozing peacefully. Sasuke's dark mood contrasted starkly from the picturesque portrait of the calm campus. The few students, in seeing the threatening glare plastered on his face, hastily altered their path to avoid any potentially dangerous confrontations.

Sasuke's tension slowly increased as he brainstormed the possibilities. He was almost ready to flip over a nearby trashcan.

_If I start immediately, I can create a rough base for the outline. How much time would that give me? Maybe I left it at home, though Mother says I left nothing. I don't recall leaving it. Perhaps it flew out the window- No, Sasuke. That is absolutely ridicu_—

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke slowly turned towards the source of the interruption. Hinata Hyuuga, clad in a large simple t-shirt and a pair of baggy grey sweatpants, clutched onto her messenger bag and a small cup of coffee. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun and her same white eyes met his.

"Hinata right? Good morning." Sasuke mustered, futilely attempting to conceal his scowl. He did not wish to be rude; this girl had done nothing to him, but his patience was running thin. He had no time to stop for petty small talk.

"Yes, that is correct. Good morning, Sasuke. I've been meaning to find you lately." She stated, unaffected by his gaze. Her voice was quiet, almost to a whisper. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, scowl still painfully apparent. She reached in her messenger bag with her free hand, and after shuffling through the contents for a few seconds, pulled out a thick folder. "I think you left this folder at the library the other day. It must have fallen over when we, uh-" At this she paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. "Anyways, I just wanted to return it to you."

Sasuke saw the familiar folder, with the glossy black letters, and mustered all the self-restraint he had to refrain from snatching the papers from the petite girl's hands.

"Oh, thank you." He forced his body to reverse his frown, only to form a pained facial expression with a minute suggestion of a smile. "I had been looking for this."

"You're welcome, I apologize for being unable to return it to you earlier. I had not seen you since then. Goodbye now." Hinata bowed slightly and turned to leave, not bothering to spare a second glance back.

Sasuke slowly began to organize his flustered thoughts, now that the folder was back. Thoughts of Hinata Hyuuga, however, lingered for a few seconds. _How very formal_. Sasuke couldn't place his thoughts on it; this girl was unlike the ones he was used to. Most other girls would have kept the folder as a means to get to him. She had not batted a single flirtatious eyelash, nor puckered her lips in an attempt to look "cute."

"Hey, wait." Sasuke said, unable to stop himself. "Why are you at school on a Sunday morning? Sunday morning classes?"

She turned to meet his eyes. "No, I'm going to the library. You see, I always study at this time. See you Sasuke."

Sasuke watched her leave in the direction of the library. It was hard to believe, that after all these days of frustration, his savior would be the stranger who had fallen on him. No matter, Sasuke thought. He would never see her again, they have no reason to. Sasuke walked towards his car, only with the thought of completing his thesis on his mind, and perhaps occasionally, a pair of white eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry for the late update. I have been far busier than planned and had little time to write. Therefore, I am squeezing in finishing this chapter at 2:56 AM. Don't worry though loyal readers, I myself hate to leave a story unfinished, and although the wait time between chapters may be long, I am determined to finish! Thank you for reading and reviewing. c:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of its respected characters.

Chapter 3

The Name

_Hyuuga_. Sasuke Uchiha, who would normally dismiss names after any trivial meeting, could not stop himself from thinking about the name. _Strictly thinking about the name_, he told himself, _not the girl_. Ever since hearing the name, Sasuke could not help shouldering a sense of unease. He possessed a gut feeling telling him that he should know the name. As for where and when, Sasuke simply could not remember. He took a bite of his steak dinner, too engrossed in his thoughts of the name to notice the conversation at the family dinner table. Little snippets of the conversation slipped into his ear once in a while, but the majority of the exchange was tossed aside by Sasuke.

"…business went well today…stocks rose…hefty bargain…." A typical conversation at the Uchiha dinner table.

_Hyuuga_. Perhaps it was just a common surname. Perhaps there was a famous author with that name.

"…business negotiations tomorrow…mergers…"

Or, perhaps there was no significance at all. Maybe it was all in Sasuke's mind. He lifted another piece of steak to his lips.

"…new investments…Hyuuga Co. expanding…"

Sasuke visibly shifted his eyes at the last phrase. Thinking he had simply heard wrong, he turned to his father, who at the moment was preoccupied at conversing with a rather bored looking Itachi.

"Did you say Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked in a plain voice. His father paused and looked up to his son's sudden interest.

"Yes, Hyuuga Co. seems to be expanding. In fact, my associate has just informed me of possible plans of a changing management."

Sasuke mentally slapped himself. He, of all people, should have recognized the Hyuuga name instantly. Hyuuga Co., similar to Uchiha Co., was one of the leading enterprises. Hyuuga Co. had been gaining power lately, slowly catching up to Uchiha Co.'s ranks, though Sasuke doubted that the Uchiha's lead could be surpassed. The simple fact must have slipped his mind amidst his academic frenzy. The name Hyuuga was not common at all, contrary to his prior misconception. Rather, only those related to the large business held that name, or so Sasuke was told.

"A changing management? Is Hiashi finally retiring?" Sasuke had heard of Hiashi Hyuuga, it was hard not to. His ruthless tactics were well known in the corporate world.

"Yes, a daughter is inheriting the business, I believe." Fugaku answered.

Sasuke felt the gears in his mind slowly click into place. _A daughter, a Hyuuga, was to inherit the business. What are the odds of being that one Hyuuga? It couldn't possibly be the girl from the library, could it?_

"Why the sudden interest? I would have expected you to know the name by heart." Fugaku stated.

"Must have slipped my mind." Sasuke mumbled.

"Well, do not let anything else slip your mind, or you may just lose to Madara."

"Yes." Sasuke's mind was elsewhere, lingering on a certain name. Suddenly, Sasuke snapped his eyes up again, though his face displayed not a trace of emotion. "I'm sorry Father, but I do not quite understand. I must have heard incorrectly. May you repeat that?"

Fugaku knew his previous statement was sure to capture his son's attention. He had hit the target straight on. "That's right. Madara's been doing fairly well this past year with his business ventures. If you're not careful, you may just lose to him."

Sasuke knew what his father was referring to: the Uchiha inheritance. Madara was a distant cousin, but a Uchiha nonetheless. He was one of the few members who actually had a stake in competing for ownership of Uchiha Co. Sasuke had made sure that he was well ahead of Madara in terms of business prospects, present and future. Come to think of it, the last time he checked on Madara's progress had been about half a year ago. Had Madara really expanded that much or was his father simply bluffing? Sasuke, however, knew that Fugaku Uchiha was not one to bluff. Sasuke made a mental note to check on Madara later.

The dinner table was quite quiet afterwards.

-x-

Sasuke later found that he could not free himself from what his father had stated at the family table. The Hyuuga girl became as mysterious as ever to him. Could it be possible that someone so plain, so ordinary, was something more? The thoughts plundered his every free moment, every free breath that Sasuke experienced afterwards. There was no reason that the girl should even interest Sasuke.

A few days later, particularly after an instance in which he discovered that he was thinking of the _Hyuuga_ girl while eating an apple, Sasuke decided that it was enough. He had to get to the bottom of it. He was not one to leave things unfinished and he always had the answers to everything. The fact of not knowing bothered him to no end. Perhaps it was his sense of pride, or perhaps it was the pent up frustration of discovering Madara's stocks skyrocketing upwards, but Sasuke finally decided that he had to visit the Hyuuga girl.

_The most natural location for her to be is the library_, Sasuke deduced. Their first encounter was the library and she was headed off to the library the other day as well.

The next Monday, Sasuke made a short trip to the library with the hopes that the Hyuuga girl would be there. His classes had ended earlier than usual and Sasuke found that he was free just short of three o'clock. He wandered around as naturally as possible, hoping that he would not cause any commotion. Strangely enough, for him at least, nobody seemed to have noticed anything unusual about the Uchiha's strange visit. The students seemed to be peacefully occupied within their own private spheres, whether it be reading a novel, writing a paper, or surfing the web. Sasuke was not used to his presence being ignored. He usually drew up attention wherever he went because of either his looks or his name. In the realm of the campus library, however, nobody really seemed to care about his presence. The most attention he received was a few glances and smiles from a couple of girls, who returned to reading their magazine soon afterwards.

After making two rounds through the library with a few intruding glances from the severe looking librarian, Sasuke concluded his search by accepting that the girl was simply not there. Sasuke took a deep breath, inhaling the bookish scents of the library, and decided to call it a day. Thoughts of the Hyuuga girl would haunt him for another day, at the least.

Sasuke ran a hand through his messy hair. It was Tuesday, a little past noon, and Sasuke's next class would start after two. He decided to try his luck again with the library. _Perhaps she will be there today. _Sasuke took a moment to process his actions, and realized that it was indeed strange to be looking for a girl he had just met twice before. However, Sasuke Uchiha was not one to leave things unsolved. Especially not something that had been plaguing him for a few days now. Sasuke Uchiha was not one to look for girls. Ever.

_This is a one-time thing_, he reassured himself.

Sasuke once again submerged himself in the calm atmosphere as he entered the immense structure. He began his past course of meandering through the expanse of the library, until he reached the far left corner. He suddenly halted after recognizing a familiar dark shade of hair. Hinata Hyuuga, in all her glory, was hunched over a large brown textbook with a ballpoint pen in her hand. She was adorned with another oversized sweater, this time in black, the school skirt, and the same simple shoes from a few days ago. Her hair was arranged in a simple messy ponytail. A few papers were scattered over the accompanying desk and one paper had even fallen to the floor. Sasuke then noted how strange it was for him to be looking for a girl he had seen only twice before, with minimal interaction to say the least. However, he had questions that needed to be answered.

Sasuke picked up the paper and placed it on her desk. Hinata Hyuuga flinched in surprise at the sudden intrusion, and looked up with her startled white orbs. Recognizing the intruder, she calmed down and gave a small smile.

"Good afternoon Sasuke." She stated with her same soft voice.

"Good afternoon Hinata." Sasuke replied, emotionlessly.

A small silence engulfed the two for a moment. Hinata stared at the stiffly standing Sasuke from her position on the chair.

"Um, is there anything I can help you with? Did you find everything in your folder?" Hinata questioned, hoping to release the tension.

"Yes, you may help me with something, and yes, everything was there. Thank you for asking." Sasuke continued indifferently. Sasuke realized that he had finally reached his goal of conversing with the girl, yet he had failed to plan how he would speak to her. So, in the few seconds that followed, he decided to do what anybody in his position would have logically done: state the obvious.

"You are a Hyuuga."

Hinata Hyuuga was used to attention gained from her last name. The name Hyuuga was prominent and those who upon recognizing her family name, often responded with awe and respect, only to be disappointed later on. Hinata had actually been expecting the Uchiha to recognize her name sooner due to his affiliation with Uchiha Co., and was surprised to say the least when he did not. Now, he would just be another person to let down.

"Yes, and you are a Uchiha." Hinata stated slowly, eyes slowly casting down to her textbook once again.

"So you've heard of the Uchiha?"

"It's hard not to. If not the most noted, then one of the most noted business names in Japan." Hinata replied while flipping a few pages of the book.

"Then I assume you know of the Hyuuga." Sasuke felt quite foolish at this point for mentioning the blatantly obvious.

"Yes, I know my own family name and their business associations as well. I would expect that this is the reason you came to see me?" Hinata replied, voice still soft.

Sasuke leaned on the nearest bookshelf and raised an eyebrow. The girl had responded to each of his questions quite formally; it was easy to distinguish her blood. She was obviously raised to express finesse; he had seen it with many other notable females during business conventions. Yet, her expression was so natural that he had failed to find any notable flaws in behavior as he had done so with many of the other females. There were only a few distinguished women that could pass the Uchiha's scrutiny.

"Well, you see Hinata, I had just been told that the Hyuuga were expecting a change in management, the heiress rising up to be exact. You are a girl and you are a Hyuuga, so that leaves some possibility that you may be Hyuuga Co.'s next CEO. It's not every day that the future leader of Hyuuga Co. falls onto your lap." At the last part of the phrase, Sasuke surprised both he and Hinata by revealing a teasing grin. Sasuke met his proclamation with internal hesitance. He himself was usually not one to talk and preferred one word answers above all else. Yet, in the span of a few minutes, he had spoken more to this girl than possibly some of his childhood friends.

At his words, a faint blush made itself present on Hinata's ivory cheeks, accompanied by an almost unheard curious chiming laugh. Hinata lifted her head from the textbook once more and locked her eyes onto Sasuke's dark ones.

"Ah, so Hanabi will be in power soon. I'm sorry to inform you, Sasuke, that your deduction is far from correct. I am the last person you should expect to lead the Hyuuga. This was decided a few years ago, and there is no turning back. Now, if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be." There was a hint of something fierce in her tone, yet she conveyed the statement with the same quiet softness.

Sasuke's eyes slightly widened at the girl's response. He knew that his theory had the possibility of being incorrect, but he had not expected her to shoot it down so simply. The girl had answered his question, but in turn had unexpectedly raised so many more.

"I'd like to continue this conversation later, if you don't mind. And I am curious, are you simply leaving because you do not prefer the topic?" Sasuke was surprised at his bold reply and mentally berated himself. Aside from his previous indulgence in speech, when did he possess the audacity to ask such blunt questions?

Hinata smiled as she reached to gather her belongings, shoveling pieces of parchment into her brown messenger bag.

"You may find me in here whenever you wish to speak again. As for now, I really do have to go. The ex-Hyuuga heiress must go to work."

With that last statement, she quickly left the proximity in a flutter of quick footsteps, leaving a rather bewildered Sasuke behind. Perhaps she was not as simple as he had deemed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello readers! I apologize for the delay in updates. I've been busy with school. I was going to write more and just give it to you all at once, but I figured you guys have waited enough. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of its respected characters.

Chapter 4

The Offer

Curious. That is what Sasuke Uchiha is. He is curious. He has always been curious. As a child, his young eyes constantly scanned the entire playground. He did not shout or spit like the other children. No, he observed. He observed the green butterfly dancing among the rustic spiral of autumn leaves circling the playground. He observed the giggling girls, with their short hair tied into innocent pigtails, picking daisies and weaving floral crowns. As a teenager, he was curious. He observed the teacher's bored, indifferent stare as he questioned the sedentary class. From the corner of his eye, he observed the girls giggle as they toyed with their hair and tried to catch his eye. His quiet demeanor wasn't because he wasn't too antisocial. Talking simply disturbs observation. The suave, mysterious aura that his female admirers adored was not deliberately forged. It was simply a side effect of his character. He observes because he is just so curious. Even now, he is curious. He is ever so curious about Hinata Hyuuga, the sleeping girl before him, with her face intimately embracing the library table.

One week had passed since their last encounter. The strange Hyuuga girl had remained at the edge of his thoughts, never fully consuming his consciousness—he was simply too busy for that. She intrigued him slightly; that was all. _Nothing more than a slight interest_, he concluded.

His very predicament was quite by chance, in fact. The Uchiha had been walking to class, carefully avoiding eye contact with every living thing, when a flurry of dark indigo hair streamed passed him. Although annoyed, Sasuke quickly recognized the color and pinpointed it to the owner. By then, Hinata Hyuuga was already making her way up to the library steps, unaware of Sasuke's lingering gaze.

_Ahh, the Hyuuga_.

Scenes from their last encounter flashed before Sasuke. He still had some unanswered questions for the girl. Guided by his ever-present curiosity, Sasuke found himself strolling towards the campus library after class. His feet carried him to the little room at the very corner of the library. Hair splayed out lavishly on the mahogany table and hand still clutching a ballpoint pen, Hinata Hyuuga was hunched over piles of books and paper. Oh, and she was asleep.

Which leaves Sasuke Uchiha, unaware of what to do, staring at the girl. A muffled _beep beep beep_ could be discerned from her raggedy book bag. The sound, however, was ineffective in waking the sleeping girl. _Is that her cell phone? A text? Should I wake her?_

Sasuke prodded the sleeping girl with a cautious finger.

"Hey. Hey wake up."

"Hmmm?" A set of weary, bloodshot eyes begrudgingly lifted themselves. Hinata Hyuuga lifted her head just enough to see the source of her disturbance. As she adjusted her to her surroundings she made out the hazy outline of Sasuke Uchiha and a distant beeping. A beeping. Her alarm beeping.

"Ohno!" Squeaked the girl.

Hinata's eyes shot open and her tiny hands slammed against the table. Papers and pens scattered but she was already grabbing her supplies and forcing them into her bag.

"Hey Hinata, I was hoping that we could talk…" His words were lost to the Hyuuga as she gathered the remaining items and dashed out of the small cubby.

"Hinata."

"I apologize, Sasuke! I am going to be late for work! Perhaps another time!" She replied in a harsh whisper.

Sasuke did not know why, but his feet moved forward without much processing from his mental core. His large, calm strides quickly caught up to the girl's fleeting steps.

"I'll give you a lift."

"W-what?" Hinata's steps slowed down, but nevertheless she moved forward.

"I said I'll give you a lift. My car is this way."

Sasuke turned towards the parking lot as they exited the library. Hinata hesitated, looking the opposite direction—the direction of the bus stop—and back at Sasuke. With an exasperated sigh, she willed herself to follow the tall man.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

"Hn."


End file.
